


Legend of the Eagle Bearer

by Reckreator



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, Post-Atlantis ending, Some Fluff, Spoilers, The good ending, The modern day lore confuses me as well, mostly angst, please don't drag me over it, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-26 12:29:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16681648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reckreator/pseuds/Reckreator
Summary: A collection of random one-shots about Kassandra, the legendary misthios. Takes place both during the game (but mostly after it).





	1. Escape (Post-Atlantis)

**Author's Note:**

> Kassandra's fate after the Atlantis ending struck me as really depressing. This is just my idea of what she would get up to throughout the centuries.  
> This one shot takes place closer to modern day and is slightly NSFW. It's probably as racy as my stories would get though.

 

It had been years-decades even- since Kassandra had done this. 

Smooth skin under her hands, eager lips against hers, and a mounting hunger between her legs that would not leave unsatisfied.

Kassandra let herself get pushed onto the bed as the girl climbed on top of her, a wicked grin on her lips. Head buzzing from wine and skin tingling from the suspense in the room, Kassandra pushed herself up onto her elbows and drank in the sight of the girl before her as she let her unbutton her shirt. 

Small; brunette; lithe, but she could see the muscles in her abdomen when she tensed. The teasing glint in her eye reminded her of someone she knew long ago. A leader. A real rebel.

There was a hunger in the girl’s eyes as she ran a hand down Kassandra’s body… and back up again. Her brow pinched in curiosity as she cupped the copper pendant around her neck.

“Huh,” she slurred. “Caduceus.” She turned the snake-entwined staff in her fingertips. “Isn’t that the symbol of Hermes?”

Kassandra flipped the girl over so she was straddling her instead. She leaned down and kissed her neck, anxious to distract her from the artefact.

“I’d rather talk about Eros right now,” she whispered, sucking lightly on the area under her ear. The girl moaned, her hand dropping weakly to her chest.  Kassandra leaned back and locked eyes with her, teeth flashing in a grin. “Or not talk at all.”

The girl grinned as she pulled her down into a deep kiss; the necklace forgotten.

Kassandra _knew_ this was risky. That her moment of selfishness could undo centuries of work and secrecy.

What if this person was a Templar? Or an Assassin? Or worse, they recognized the Staff of Hermes, even in its disguised form?

It was dangerous game she played.

But then she thought about going back to that cave on Thera.

Alone.

Empty.

Nothing but the sound of waves and recordings of an entity long gone to keep her company.

She would lose her sanity if she spent another night there.

So, she stayed.

They shed the rest of their clothes and ran their hands all over each other’s body. Down, up, and then in between to where she slipped two fingers in. Kisses here and then down there; losing herself in the taste of whiskey on her tongue, and then _her_ on her lips. Moans echoed off the walls as fingernails raked down her back, pain and pleasure mixing as one.

Centuries had passed, but lovemaking was something that had remained unchanged.  The one comfort. The one escape.

When they had fucked and come until the neighbors banged on the wall, the girl rolled onto her back and promptly fell asleep. Kassandra lay next to her, sighing and closing her eyes. Her mind detached from the world as her body floated in post-coital bliss. Exhaustion dragged at her, and she allowed herself to believe that for one moment-one night- she was a normal person living a normal life.

* * *

 The pendant hummed against her chest.

Kassandra’s eyes snapped open and she sat up.

She looked across and saw that the girl had curled up into a ball, fast asleep. The time on the clock showed that an hour had passed since they had finished, and outside, the moon had reached its zenith.

The pendant pulsed with a small orange light.

Kassandra sighed and swung her legs off the edge of the bed, burying her head in her hands as the hangover settled in. The air was cool against her bare skin as she listened to the sound of cars driving by outside the window.

She closed her eyes, breathing. 

She knew she should go. Should return to Thera.

There was nothing for her here, and there never could be. With how long she lived…but also not knowing when her time would come to an end, she would never be able to be with anyone. To be happy.

She had tried before. Once, with a Roman general who wasn’t as tough as everyone thought he was, and once with a Persian doctor whose hands healed her heart as much as her patients.

She cherished every moment she spent with them- held their memories dear in her heart…but it could never be more than ten years.

Ten years, before the questions came about her agelessness.

Ten years, when Kassandra was forced to break their heart.

Ten years, when she watched them move on and forget her.

The pendant hummed quietly, a vibration she felt in her chest.

Kassandra opened her eyes and stood, reluctantly picking up her scattered clothes. There was a boat leaving for Thera in the morning, and if she caught a bus in the next hour, she could make it on time.

She pulled her blazer over her arms and looked back at the girl.

She was now snuggling into the pillow, her hair falling messily down her back. Her face was completely relaxed; her lips parted slightly as her chest rose and fell gently. She was a picture of beauty. Of complete peace.

Kassandra felt a sudden urge to wrap her arms around her. To pull her close and to brush away the hair from her neck so she could kiss the supple skin beneath. It would have been so easy to just go back to sleep in her arms and just…pretend.

The staff buzzed this time, impatient.

Kassandra grimaced and sighed in exasperation. “Alright, alright,” she growled quietly. She turned away from the girl, rolling her eyes. “ _Malaka.”_

Kassandra found a notepad in the entryway and scribbled down a paltry apology for her escape. She pinned it to the refrigerator with a magnet, ignoring the guilt settling in her gut. 

With one last glance back at the bedroom, Kassandra left the apartment, ready to return to her destiny. 

 

 


	2. Surprise (Kassandra and Phobie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kassandra goes for a relaxing picnic but is interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I love Phobie.

The sun shone brightly over Kephallonia, reflecting sharply off the ocean and warming her tanned skin. Kassandra strolled through the town of Sami, watching people buy their groceries and wares whilst there was a break in the weather.

It had rained and rained this past week- as if Hera had kicked Zeus to the doghouse again. But… today was amazing. Helios must have stormed up to Zeus himself and told him to knock it off.  

“Ahh, Kassandra!” the baker greeted as she stopped in front of his store. He was kneading a large lump of dough in his hands, pushing it back and forth. “The usual?”

“Not today, friend,” she smiled, examining a few pieces of steaming _teganites_ on display. “I think I might indulge myself.”  It had been a long week of chasing up Markos’ debts, _in the rain_ , no less, and Markos had rewarded her with one day where he didn’t bother her. It was a pretty shitty reward, but she had been in a bad mood all week and Kassandra was determined to enjoy herself today.  

She pointed at the pancakes and Nikos looked back at them, breaking into a wide grin. “Ah, good choice!” He grabbed a piece of cloth and a pair of tongs. “These came out of the oven not a minute ago!” He started stacking the pancakes onto the cloth. “How many would you like? Three? Five?”

Kassandra waved her hands in front of her. “Calm down, Nikos,” she laughed. She patted her stomach. “I still need to watch my figure. Three will be enough.”

“Would you like some honey as well?”

Kassandra scoffed. “Of course. Do you think I’m a barbarian?”

Nikos chuckled and handed the package to her. “Six drachmae, please.”

Kassandra happily handed the coin over and then put the _teganites_ in her basket. Afterwards, she went around the market, filling the rest of her basket with delicious treats for her lunch- goat’s cheese, figs, salted fish, olives, grapes and of course, wine. It was likely too much for her, but it was nice to have the option.

When she was done, she borrowed one of Markos’ horses and headed to a quiet spot by the coast. Here, a single tree overlooked the ocean and the bay on a small hill. It was far enough away from the villages that no one would bother her, and secret enough that Markos wouldn’t be able to find her in case he had another _small favour_ to ask.

As she trotted up the hill, Ikaros let out a squawk above her. Kassandra glanced up and saw him fly ahead to where he began circling around something. Kassandra frowned and nudged her horse towards the edge of the hill, where she could see down to the bay below.

There was a small shipwreck that had not been there before on the beach. It had probably crashed against the rocks in one of the storms last week, and from how scattered the debris was, and what little of the ship was left intact, she didn’t think there were any survivors.

Despite that, Kassandra could still see movement amongst the wreckage. Five clicks from Ikaros told her that there were five people. These people were tall; bandits and scavengers probably…but there was a smaller figure amongst them who was sitting against a crate.

Ikaros landed on her arm and clicked his tongue once, then made a lower sound in his throat. Kassandra’s eyes widened as she realized what he was trying to tell her. “Phobie?!” she exclaimed. “Are you sure?”

The eagle squawked in affirmation and took flight, circling once again over the shipwreck. Kassandra shielded her eyes from the sun and squinted at the small figure. She could make out that this person was female, but she couldn’t be sure it was Phobie.

Kassandra cursed and tied her horse to a nearby rock. She grabbed her bow from her bags and then took off towards the shipwreck, skirting around the perimeter.

 _Malaka,_ she cursed. All she wanted was a nice, quiet day, but like always, she was solving one problem or another.

The ship had washed up right in the middle of this small bay- not great for stealth. Still, Kassandra tried, darting from boulder to boulder, her feet kicking up sand behind her as she moved.  When there were no more rocks to hide behind, she kept as close as she could to the water, praying that she was hidden from their line of sight behind the bulk of the ship.

As she neared, she could see that it was indeed Phobie, hands bound in front of her and tossed against a washed-up crate. She looked irritated and tired, but thankfully, unhurt.   

Kassandra sighed in relief and gripped her bow tighter.

Those _malakes_ were lucky they didn’t hurt her; else they would feel a wrath greater than Ares.

The bandits were picking through the wreckage, opening crates and flipping over wooden boards to reveal the scattered goods beneath. It looked like it had been a trade ship; bringing various pelts and animal products to its destination.

Two of the bandits had disappeared into the hull of the ship, whilst the other two were searching around the wreckage on the shore. It didn’t seem like either of them had noticed her… _yet_.

Kassandra slung the bow onto her back as she approached the other side of the boat. She stopped outside the hull, peering an eye through a fallen board to the interior beyond.  

The two bandits inside continued on their search, unaware of her presence. One was a man, whilst the other was a woman. They seemed familiar- probably some of the Cyclops’ men who had been terrorizing this island for a long time. It didn’t really matter though- they were both going to die soon.

She looked up. There was a breach in the hull above her. It looked large enough for her to squeeze through if she could reach it.

Rolling her shoulders in anticipation, Kassandra waited for a wave to crash against the shore and then scampered up the side of the ship, fingers latching onto the edge of the gap. She held her breath for a moment, listening to see if the bandits had noticed her, but there was only the sound of wood being kicked over and pried apart.

Kassandra pulled her head over the hole and saw that the two bandits were on opposite sides of the ship, their backs to her. She relaxed down and took a deep breath, her toes bouncing against the wooden hull before launching herself through the hole.

Kassandra drew her spear as she fell, launching it directly at the bandit to her right when she landed. She drew her sword, rushing up to the bandit to her left as she heard a strangled cry behind her. Before this bandit could turn around, she plunged her sword deep into his chest and put a hand over his mouth, muffling the sounds of his demise.

“Eirene?!” came a cry from outside. “You alright?”

Kassandra pulled her sword out and rushed over to grab her spear out of the woman’s head. She pressed herself against the side of the ship, her breathing labored as she held the spear across her chest, ready to strike as soon as the bandit appeared.

Outside, Ikaros squawked twice- a warning that he was about to dive.

Kassandra heard the rush of wind as the eagle swooped down- and was immediately followed by a startled yelp. Kassandra twirled out from behind her cover and slashed at the bandit’s exposed abdomen. She flipped the spear in her hand and stabbed into his stomach, ripping the blade upwards and spraying a column of blood into the air.

“By Hades!” the final bandit exclaimed, scrambling away from her.

“Kassandra!” Phobie grinned, bouncing in her spot.

Ikraos leapt into the air as Kassandra stepped to the side, letting the body fall face first into the sand. She locked eyes with the remaining man and strode forward, ready to slice his throat.

The man glanced frantically around and then ran towards Phobie, hauling her up in front of him with a dagger held across her neck.

“Hey!” Phobie protested.

“Stop!” the man shouted.

Kassandra stopped, her breath in her throat.

“D-Don’t move _misthios_!” He cried. “Or I’ll kill her!”

Above them, Ikaros squawked- a cry that echoed over the ocean.

The bandit glanced up and then pressed the dagger against her throat. “And call off your bird!” he added. “Be-before I kill her!”

Phobie winced, but she looked more annoyed than scared. “Who uses a little girl as a shield?” she asked him.

 “Quiet!” he snapped.

Kassandra hesitated before holding up a fist in the air to Ikaros. The eagle circled around them, but he wouldn’t attack without her signal. She couldn’t take chances, not when it came to Phobie.

Kassandra gripped her spear and eyed up the bandit. He was scared- that much was clear. The hand that held his dagger shook, and his eyes darted around as if he were looking for a way of escape.

 “Come now,” she growled, barely holding back her anger. “You don’t want to do this.” She pointed her spear back at the body behind her, which was now lying in a pool of blood. “You’ve seen what I did to your friends- do you really want to join them in Tartarus?”

The bandit, to his credit, gritted his teeth and pulled Phobie closer to him. “Five hundred drachmae then!” he shouted. “Then I’ll let her go.”

Kassandra bristled. She didn’t have that much coin. She pointed her spear at him. “You are in no place to nego-”

“No, _you_ are in no place to negotiate!” he interrupted. He pointed at the ship and growled.  “This was our haul. The Cyclops sent us to retrieve it, but now you’ve slaughtered most of us and he won’t be happy about that. If I show up with three less men and empty hands, he’ll have my eye.” He put the dagger back against Phobie’s throat. “So, five hundred drachmae, or I’ll slit her throat. She clearly means something to you. Are you really going to let her die?”

Kassandra gritted her teeth, pained. She didn’t have that much drachmae and it would take her a while to get it. She locked eyes with Phobie, who smiled slightly and then winked.

Phobie jabbed an elbow into the man’s groin. He let out a strangled cry as he let her go, and it was all Kassandra needed to act.

 “Duck!” she shouted, throwing her spear at the bandit.  Phobie threw herself out of the way as Kassandra tackled the man to the ground, grabbing the spear from his shoulder and stabbing it into his head.

His body went still.

Kassandra wrenched the spear out of his skull as she staggered off the man. She put her hands on her hips, looking up at the sky and panting from a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. By the Styx, she swore she had aged another ten years in the past minute.

“Hey!” Phobie’s voice cut through her thoughts. “A little help here?”

Kassandra looked over to where Phobie was struggling to get herself free. She had managed to sit up but was having trouble slipping her hands out of the rope.

Kassandra sighed in exasperation, irritated at the situation. How could Phobie be so relaxed about this? What was she even doing here? Did she know how dangerous it was?

Kassandra walked over to her, and with one swift motion, sliced through the ropes holding her hands.

“Thanks Kassandra!” Phobie smiled, scrambling to her feet. She turned to face her. “I saw Ikaros above, and I knew you were nearby! Oh, you have blood on your face by the way.” She started walking towards the outer edge of the wreckage.

Kassandra blinked, the lecture she had been about to give catching on her tongue. She hurriedly wiped the blood away as she followed the urchin. 

“What are you doing here Phobie?” she asked. “You know you should be more careful around the Cyclops’ men. You’re lucky that Ikaros saw you when he did.”

Phobie turned around and huffed. “I found this first Kassandra!” she said, folding her arms. “It’s not my fault. These people turned up afterwards, and I tried to hide, but they caught me and thought they could sell me.”

Kassandra pinched the bridge of her nose. Phobie was always getting herself into trouble, and half the time Kassandra wasn’t sure if it was because of the Fates or because the girl kept testing the Fates.  

Still…she was just a child, and she was doing her best in this big world.

Kassandra sighed and knelt in front of her. “Phobie, just…” She grimaced, struggling to find the right words to express her concern, but trying not to sound too angry at the same time. “Just be more careful okay? Pick your battles carefully.”

Phobie put her hands on her hips and beamed. “I promise Kassandra! They won’t even see me next time.”

Kassandra grimaced. That… was not exactly what she meant. But with the way Phobie was looking at her with those big, hopeful, brown eyes…

She sighed, deciding to let this one go. “Okay,” she smiled, ruffling her hair. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Wait!” she said. She ran off to a pile of stacked furs and items that the bandits had been salvaging and picked up a sheathed sword. She walked back to Kassandra, holding it to her proudly. “Surprise!” 

Kassandra took the weapon from her confusedly. “What’s this?” she asked, unsheathing the sword. It was a spatha- a sword with a long, broad blade and straight hilt. The pommel was styled into the head of a lion and she could tell that it was well made and taken care of.

 “It’s a sword!” Phobie proclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. “I came here because I wanted to find you something to cheer you up. You’ve been so grumpy this week.”

“What?” Kassandra blinked, looking up at her. “I’ve not been grumpy!”

Phobie looked at her skeptically. “ _Right_ …” she said. “It wasn’t _you_ who made that hole in the barn wall.” She shrugged dismissively and looked around the wreckage again. “I was actually looking for gems or ivory horns- you know, something expensive. But then I found this and remembered that you were complaining that your sword was getting worn and I thought it would be perfect.”

Kassandra sheathed the sword and turned to Phobie. No one had done something so nice for her before, not without wanting something in return. “Thank you,” she smiled, placing a hand on the young girl’s shoulder. “This is a great gift.” She pulled her into a hug.

Phobie returned the hug, wrapping her arms around her shoulders tightly. “You’re welcome, Kassandra,” she grinned.  She stepped back and glanced around. “But…we should probably get out of here. It won’t be long before more of the Cyclops’ men show up.”

Kassandra sighed and looked back to the small hill, where her horse was still waiting by the singular tree.  Anyone who came to the beach would see her in an instant, so there went _that_ idea for a relaxing lunch.

She strapped the sword to her belt and began walking back towards the hill, her mind combing through all the other places she knew which she could go.

“Got any special plans for today?” Phobie asked, following her.

“Well, I was going to have a nice lunch over _there_ ,” Kassandra said, pointing to the hill. “But I don’t feel like sharing with more bandits. I’ll have to relocate, but I’m not too sure where.”

“There’s a spot on the beach, not too far away,” she suggested. “The rock forms a bit of an overhang. There’s a nice breeze that flows through there. My friends and I hang out there sometimes. You could go there.”

Kassandra considered it for a moment. This place sounded like the next best thing and she didn’t have any better ideas. “Very well,” she said. “Lead the way.”

Kassandra helped Phobie up onto the horse then jumped up behind her. She grabbed the reins and then guided them forward, following Phobie’s directions as they headed down the coast. It was about ten minutes before they arrived at a curve in the side of the cliff face. The overhang that Phobie mentioned shaded a small rocky plateau which rose out from the sand.

“Is this it?” Kassandra asked, dismounting from her horse.

Phobie jumped off. “Yep!” She scampered over to the middle of the plateau and spun around. “Will this do?”

Kassandra tied the horse to a nearby rock and looked around. This place was quiet, and being so close to the ocean meant that it was cooler than the hilltop. She was glad they wouldn’t have to sit on the sand, and although this place wasn’t overlooking any scenery, the ocean in front of them was still nice.

She smiled. “Yes, I think this will do quite nicely.”  She unstrapped the basket from her horse and went over to where Phobie was.

“Ohh, what did you get?” Phobie asked, instantly snatching the basket from her and ransacking it.

Kassandra rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Help yourself,” she said, sitting down opposite her. “I have more than enough this time.”

Phobie took out each of the foods and the amphorae of wine.  Ikaros landed next to them and hopped closer to the basket, watching each food intently as it was placed on the ground.

“Did you want some Ikaros?” Phobie asked, breaking off a piece of _teganite_ and holding it out to him.  The eagle snapped it out of her fingers and Phobie giggled. She threw another piece up into the air but Ikaros was too slow to catch it and it bounced off his head instead. He shook his head, squawking and ruffling his feathers indignantly.

Kassandra chuckled. Phobie could be a headache sometimes but Kassandra knew how hard it was to grow up without a family. The world could be cruel, and a child’s innocence didn’t tend to last long when put to the test. If she could do something to ease that transition for Phobie, then she would happy do it. No matter how many heart attacks she gave her.

Besides, when she wasn’t being annoying, she actually enjoyed the girl’s company.

Phobie looked over to her, smiling. “Come on Kassandra! Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked.

Kassandra smiled and reached over, ruffling her hair. Phobie shook her hand away, her face pinched in annoyance causing Kassandra to laugh. “Pass me one of those _teganites_ , would you?”

They spent the rest of that afternoon snacking on the fruits and foods that Kassandra had bought, talking about everything and anything in between. Phobie complained about how boring the island was, and Kassandra shared her exasperation over the latest goose chase that Markos had sent her on. They talked about taking a boat and sailing away from Kephallonia- to Athens or Phokis and all the crazy things they could do there.

Eventually, Phobie fell asleep in Kassandra’s lap, lulled to unconsciousness by the mix of wine and exhaustion. Kassandra stroked her hair gently, humming a lullaby from the depths of her childhood. She watched the waves lap softly against the sand, and for once, thanked the gods that they had guided her here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lullaby I refer to is the Odyssey (Greek version), and also the song Kassandra hums the first time you see her.


	3. Hold on (Just a little while longer) (Post-Atlantis)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kassandra wonders what all of this is for.

It was hard to stay positive.

Some days were easier than others, but when Kassandra was left alone with her thoughts in that cave on Thera, there were many times where she just wondered what the point of all this was….what the point of her life was.

Pythagoras had told her that one day, someone who walked the line between chaos and order would come. That they would be the one to restore the balance to this world, to bring an end to all the fighting.

Kassandra had waited, and waited, and two thousand years later, there was still no sign of this fabled one.

Instead, it had been two thousand years of constant war, secrecy, pain and ‘ _patience’._

 _‘_ Patience’ _,_ to do her duty.

‘Patience’, to fulfill this stupid prophecy.

‘Patience’, to watch everyone she loved die…whilst she remained.

She had seen kingdoms rise and fall; empires crumble to dust, only for new settlements to build upon their ashes; and the death of more friends and loved ones than the stars above.

There would be new rulers, new religions, new empires; but the nature of _man_ remained the same.

Power, greed, hubris- they were always a constant; corrupting every aspect of society and draining the goodness in the world just as it drained her hope. 

Kassandra tried- and by the gods she tried- to purge it from the world. Where ever she went, she tried to help as many people as she could- to bring a bit of light to this shit place… but it never worked.

Power, greed, hubris…they all fell into the same cycle despite her best efforts. As if mankind were destined to destroy itself.

It only got worse when the Templars and Assassins showed up.

Order and chaos.

Control and freedom.

Both, noble concepts in their own right, but taken to the extreme by these two factions. Almost all of the conflicts in the world had been because of _them_ and their race to find those _malakes_ Isu artefacts.

Power hungry, the both of them. No matter the cost.

Kassandra had learnt long ago the cost of letting one side win. She had watched Aspasia’s philosopher king rise to conquer the Persian Empire and bring war and misery under a united front. She thought she had been ending the chaos of the Peloponnesian War by eliminating the Cult of Kosmos, but she had only bought another age of exploitation and oppression in disguise.

Balance.

That was the key, Pythagoras had said, and it was Kassandra and the Hermiticists who fought to keep this balance.

Working in secret, they actually remembered who these ‘noble’ factions were fighting for and did their best to shelter them from the divine war raging above.  If the Assassins were inciting a rebellion with too high a cost, they would help the Templar’s shut it down quickly. If the Templars were ruling with an iron fist, they would sneak information to the Assassins to stage a coup. It was a delicate balancing act- one where Kassandra worked feverishly to keep the plates spinning- trying her damndest not to let one side tip more than the other.

It was exhausting.

Kassandra wasn’t one to give up easily, but two thousand years of _waiting_ drained on one’s willpower.

Despite her best efforts, corrupt rulers rose to power again and again, treading on the little people below. It didn’t seem like anything she did mattered; her actions a mere raindrop in a vast desert. The Assassins…the Templars…they would never agree to peace- never form this ‘balance’ that Pythagoras prophesized.

There was only so much failure and pain one person could take, and she had gone far past her limit.

Often, Kassandra found herself thinking of those she had lost. Ikaros, her _mater_ , Nikolaos, her baby brother Alexios, Phobie; the sister she never had, and even Stentor and his smug grin. She yearned to see them again; to have her _mater_ stroke her face, to have Nikolaos berate her on her form, to see Ikaros and Phobie playing…and to fight with her siblings over the last piece of lamb.

Those memories ached like a wound in her heart, and on those nights, the want to go to them was overwhelming.

How much longer did she have to wait to join them?

What was the point of trying if everything remained the same anyways?

Why couldn’t she just… _die_ and finally find peace?

It was these solemn thoughts that haunted Kassandra as she stepped off the ship and onto the ports of Lisbon.

She didn’t really know what she was doing here in Portugal, just that the Hermedicists had asked her to follow an Assassin here. This Assassin had killed Templars Samuel Smith and James Wardrop a few weeks ago, and they believed that he had obtained a few Precursor artefacts from them. Her job was to retrieve them…not that it would stop the Assassins from their hunt anyways.

Kassandra sighed and pulled her hood over her head. She started down the street, heading towards her Hermedicist contact in the city. The sooner she got these artefacts back, the sooner she could destroy them and return to Thera to brood.

A little girl dressed in a simple brown dress was selling flowers from a basket ahead of her. Kassandra kept her head down, not feeling like talking to anyone today but the gods must have been punishing her.

As she neared, the little girl turned to her, beaming. “ _Senhora_!” she greeted. She bounded up to her and Kassandra paused, taken aback by the girl’s features. Tall for her age, dark hair, tanned skin and brown eyes- for a moment, Kassandra thought that Phobie had come back to life.

“Would you like to buy some flowers, _senhora_?” The girl asked in Portuguese. 

Kassandra blinked and snapped back to the present, a heaviness settling in her heart. Phobie was dead. And now that she was closer, she could see that this girl had a rounder face than Phobie and was much younger as well.

“I’m sorry,” Kassandra replied slowly in Portuguese. She knew a little bit of the language but had to translate things in her head first. “I’m not interested.”

“It’s only one hundred _escudo,_ ” she continued. “ _M_ _ãe_ said that if I finish this basket, she’ll take me to the Feast tonight. Please help me out.” She took out a simple yellow flower and showed it to her, smiling. “This colour will look good with your clothes. Your blue scarf will help bring out the brightness of its petals.”

Kassandra sighed. She didn’t want one, but looking at this girl was bringing back depressing memories. She needed to get away from her as soon as possible. “Okay,” she said, taking out the coin.  “I’ll buy this yellow one.”

The girl beamed and gave her the flower excitedly. “Thank you, _senhora_!” She accepted the coin. “Have a nice day!”

Despite everything, Kassandra felt a smile tug at her lips. The young child’s excitement was contagious, and her innocence was endearing. Maybe she had isolated herself too much these past few years that she missed out on moments like this; moments that made the world a little bit brighter.

She pinned the flower to her scarf and assessed it approvingly. The blue and yellow did look good together, and the combination was quite cute.

Her heart a bit lighter, Kassandra continued down the street.

Suddenly, the ground shook with a _clap_.

Kassandra stumbled and barely managed to catch herself as her breath caught in her throat. She glanced around for the source, feeling trembles intensify underneath her feet.

A thunderous _crack_ resounded through the city-a _boom_ so loud it resonated in her chest. The trembles magnified into violent quakes, throwing her off balance until she could barely stand. The ground began to splinter and crack ahead of her- giant crevices tearing the earth apart. Dust and debris began raining from the buildings, and large chunks of stone crashed into the street beneath.

A sense of dread filled Kassandra as she realised what was happening. She spun around and prepared to run when she spotted the little girl standing and looking around desperately, calling out for her mother. A large crack ran up the building next to her as the top started toppling forwards.

Her body was moving before she had time to think. “Look out!” Kassandra shouted, sprinting towards her.

The girl looked behind her and screamed as half a balcony fell upon her. Kassandra tackled her forward, wrapping her arms around the girl and shielding her with her body as she felt a thunderous _crash_ behind her, a sharp pain to her head, and then… nothing.

* * *

 

Kassandra struggled to open her eyes as her head thumped in pain. Her body refused to move as she tried to tug her arm back, as if there was an oppressive force holding her in place. There was a loud ringing that refused to leave her ears, and she could feel an intense heat against her chest.

When Kassandra finally pried her eyes open, she was met with light and dust. She coughed weakly, each breath a struggle as she felt something crushing her ribs. There was a wet sensation running down her neck and in between her shoulders. She could hear sobbing through the ringing in her ears and vaguely, she realised that she was holding the flower girl half-under her.

“Are you alright?” she asked. Kassandra could barely hear herself through the tinnitus, but she heard the sobs turn to yelling and she could feel the girl wriggle under her.

Kassandra tried to lift her head, but it was stopped by something heavy and large on her back. She opened her eyes fully and craned her neck around, realising that she was half-buried under a building on her side. Her right arm was trapped above her; a piece of stone crushing her wrist.

Kassandra reached forward weakly with her left hand and hooked her fingers under the rock. She took a few depth breaths and then lifted the stone, holding her breath as her forearm shook from the struggle. She tugged her hand free and let the rock drop, instantly feeling relief run up her arm.

The little girl was crying again; sobbing for her mother and father and the pain in her eye. Kassandra drew her arm back and placed her hands on the ground, trying to push against the stone slab on her back.  It shifted slightly, but then she gasped as her arms gave out beneath her, collapsing back down.

This slab was _incredibly_ heavy, and she would need all her strength to get it off her.

“Hush, little one,” Kassandra cooed, panting and resting her forehead against the girl’s shoulders. The ringing had stopped, but the crying was beginning to grate on her nerves. She couldn’t let it fluster her, not now.

Kassandra closed her eyes and focused on the Staff of Hermes. It was burning against her skin- its magic working furiously to keep her alive. Still, there was a bit of power left within it, and Kassandra hoped that that was enough.

Bracing her hands against the floor again, Kassandra willed the remaining energy into a ball in her chest. She gritted her teeth and pushed against the slab with all her might, and at the same time, released the power in her chest as a small blast of energy.

With a cry, Kassandra shoved the stone slab off her back and then collapsed forward again, instantly feeling the stop in healing. All her energy had drained from her muscles and each tiny movement wrecked agony throughout her body. Blood trickled down the back of her neck and she could feel the call of unconsciousness lulling her to sleep. The staff wouldn’t regain its power for a few more days, and until then, Kassandra was at the very real risk of dying.

The thought was… strangely comforting.

She would finally be able to rest. To laugh with her friends on the _Adrestia_ in Elysium, to have dinner with her family back home… it was all she ever wanted.

She just had to let go.

Sobs broke through her daydream, and her eyes fluttered open to see the little girl under her.

She had to be no older than ten years old; a bright spark who had barely seen the wonders of the world. She hadn’t had the chance to experience love, loss, joy- everything that came with living life to its natural end.

Just like another young girl she had failed a lifetime ago. A friend she had been too slow to save.

Phobie.

Kassandra steeled her resolve.

Well this girl wasn’t dead yet, and Kassandra wouldn’t let her die, not if she could help it.

Gritting her teeth, she shoved the rest of the rubble off herself and slowly pushed herself to her knees. The world spun for a moment and she took a few deep breaths, trying to push past the pain racking her body.

Slowly, Kassandra placed a hand on the girl’s arm. “Hey, hey,” she hushed. “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay now.”

Shoulder’s shaking from sobs, the girl rolled onto her back, one hand covering a bleeding eye. Tears streamed down the other one as she stuttered sentences too quick for her to interpret. Kassandra was taken aback for a moment before she pulled the child against her chest, resting her nose in her dusty hair.

She breathed deeply, ignoring the fire in her lungs that that movement caused. “We will find your _mater_ , okay?” she said. “I promise.”

Grimacing, Kassandra scooped the girl up in her arms and slowly stood. She gritted her teeth as pain shot to her head and her legs threatened to give out beneath her. She breathed deeply, feeling the world stabilise around her, and then took a few tentative steps down the rubble. The girl clung to her neck tightly with one arm, the other hand pressed against her bleeding eye. Kassandra grunted as she stumbled through the streets and back down the way she had come.

The city looked nothing like it had five minutes ago. Rubble and debris taller than her were scattered on the street, and the buildings which they had once belonged to had been torn in half. The skyline could be seen over the remains of the buildings, and smoke rose through various spots in the city as fire began spreading to what remained. Cries and shouts echoed throughout the streets, and she could see people sobbing and digging through rubble for any sign of their neighbours.

Kassandra’s arms burned as she returned to the docks, her muscles beginning to shake. The girl in her arms seemed to be getting heavier with each second, and each breath became more laboured as she walked. She had been close to death before, but not when the staff had nothing left and couldn’t numb the pain. It was only adrenaline keeping her going, and she knew that it would run out soon.

“ _M_ _ãe_!” the girl shouted. She pointed to a woman in a grey dress who was scrambling through the crowd, calling out something in Portuguese. “That’s my _m_ _ãe, senhora!_ ”

Kassandra gritted her teeth and stumbled over to the woman. She looked relatively uninjured, and when she saw the little girl, relief washed over her features and she sprinted over to them.

“Maria! Maria!” she shouted.

Kassandra handed the girl over to her mother and stumbled to a knee, her legs finally giving out. Maria’s mother hugged her tightly, tears streaming down her face as Maria hugged back. She brushed away her daughter’s blood-stained hand to reveal a bloody eye and then whispered words of comfort to her as they hugged again.

Kassandra looked around her, breathing heavily as she took in the destruction. Those that had survived the earthquake were stumbling around and asking the person next to them about what happened- what they had done to anger God. There was a man shouting desperately, pulling rubble away from an unmoving body within. Everywhere, people were screaming and crying, staggering around lost and dazed and calling for family and friends most likely dead.

In the far distance, Kassandra could see someone pull themselves up onto a boat; a man with a pony tail, dressed in an Assassin’s long coat and hood. He turned to look at the city behind him, motionless and stoic.

Kassandra gritted her teeth and turned away.

The Assassin’s had done this.

She didn’t know what happened, but she _knew_ it had something to do with their stupid obsession with the Isu artefacts. The Isu had extreme defence mechanisms for their artefacts, and she was willing to bet that those _malakas_ had triggered one out of their own greed.

She looked back at Maria and her mother who were getting themselves to their feet. Maria had stopped crying, and when she closed her eyes to take a deep breath in, Kassandra remembered seeing Phobie with her eyes closed against that pillar, never to open again.

_“Ella!” She had begged, shaking her shoulder._

_Any moment now. Any moment now, Phobie would wake up and laugh at Kassandra for falling for her joke. Any moment now she would come back to life._

_But she didn’t._

It wasn’t fair.

Kassandra gritted her teeth and stood up, a fire burning through her chest.

This was why she fought.

To stop the Assassins, to stop the Templars-to stop them from tearing apart the world which they claimed to protect.

To make sure that children like Maria…like Phobie… didn’t get caught up in a war which was not their own.

For them, Kassandra could hold on a little while longer.

Pulling her scarf over her mouth to block the increasing smoke, Kassandra turned to Maria and her mother. After an earthquake, a tsunami always followed.

And they only had a few minutes to get to safety.

“Come on,” she said to them. “We need to get to high ground.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out Detroit: Become Human's 'Hold On' for more feels  
> Also, this references the events of AC: Rogue for those that a curious.


End file.
